Millwall have vowed to reopen an
investigation into allegations of racial abuse aimed at a Leeds player
in a Championship match this
season.

And Football League chairman Greg Clarke
today admitted something in the game may be 'terribly wrong' if black
players feel unable to report racist abuse.

Millwall beat Leeds 1-0 on November 18 but allegations of abuse were reported online after the contest. Millwall complained bitterly about those reports and insisted they be removed, threatening legal action.

However, TV
footage shown last night by Sky Sports News as part of an investigation into
racism in the game showed Leeds' Senegal forward El-Hadji
Diouf being racially abused.

Scroll down to watch the video...

Making his point: El-Hadji Diouf talks with Mark Halsey

Caught on camera: A fan is filmed making racist remarks during a Millwall game by Sky Sports News

STATEMENT: DANNY SHITTU

I am deeply saddened by the documentary on Sky Sports showing racism by the minority at matches including at Millwall. As the current Millwall captain, racism is something I do not stand for or condone.

I am currently in talks with the club about any further measures we can take in dealing with and eradicating racism at matches.

I do not want the events shown yesterday to tarnish the hard work done by the club thus far and their efforts in tackling this issue.

Every player at all levels has the right to represent their club without being subjected to homophobic or racial taunts. I will do all I can to help eradicate racism at my club and in football.

The Sky team reported hearing abuse from Block 28 of the Millwall support for the visit of Leeds.

The report said: 'During the game there are chants about Jimmy Savile and the Leeds supporters who were stabbed in Istanbul.

'Millwall scored the only goal of the game in the 85th minute. During this game Diouf is subjected to monkey chants from some fans in Block 28 and he is racially abused a total of 55 times.

'Diouf speaks to the referee, Mark Halsey and points to Block 28. The game continues for another seven minutes after the referee speaks to the fourth official through his headset.

'After the final whistle, Diouf appears
to complain to a steward. He's ushered away but he goes back to the
Leeds fans to give his shirt to a supporter in a wheelchair.'

Abuse: Sky Sports News picked up another fan making racist remarks

The Sky programme also reported that the cameraman who attended the match described it as the worst example of racism he had experienced in 35 years of attending football matches.

Football League chief Clarke, who was at the match in question, told Sky Sports News: 'To have our players subjected to such vile and filthy abuse deserves nothing more than the culprits being arrested and facing the full weight of the law.

'There's two issues, one is we have to continue to work with the clubs on our anti-racism programmes which are agreed with the FA.'

'Secondly is the reticence of black players to come forward and feel comfortable in supporting it. If we've created an environment that doesn't support black players in confronting this issue we've done something terribly wrong.

'We've got wrap ourselves around our black players and give them our support to report such episodes and then deal with such episodes extremely severely.'

Anger: Leeds forward El-Hadji Diouf was believed to be the target of racist abuse

GRAHAM POLL'S OFFICIAL LINE

Seeing referee Mark Halsey being implored by Leeds striker El-Hadji Diouf to act on racist comments from the Millwall crowd reminded me of how difficult such situations are for a referee.

Of course, it is in your power to take the players from the field of play if the incidents are affecting them and this can lead to an abandonment. However, this ultimate sanction from a referee is seen as undesirable.

There are two distinct situations with racist abuse and referees have to react appropriately in each scenario. First, comments that the referee hears and, second, alleged comments that are reported to him that he has not heard.

If a player or official make a racist comment then the referee must dismiss the culprit immediately and include the exact details in his report.

If a supporter or section of fans are heard making chants or noises of a racially based nature then the referee would consult with the match commander and ask for action to be taken by police or stewards.

If that does not stop the actions then he is well within his rights to take the players off of the field.

The offenders should then be removed or an entire section of crowd could be cleared unless this was not recommended by the match commander.

Then the game could be abandoned and the full reasons given in the match report which could well then result in the match being awarded against the team who's supporters have caused the abandonment.

The second scenario is very awkward and happened to me during a game at Villa Park in 1998 when Stan Collymore, who was playing for Aston Villa, came to me and said he had been racially abused by Liverpool's Steve Harkness.

He looked furious and upset and clearly wanted me to take action.

I approached Harkness who denied making any such comments and so I could take no action other than watch the two players very closely going forward for any retribution or retaliation.

As with any misconduct a referee can only act on what he or his colleagues actually see or hear.

'Clearly
that behaviour is unacceptable in any football ground in the country
and at Millwall we will ban the individuals for life and we hope that
Sky will pass the footage to the police so that further action can be
taken.

'Sadly racism exists
in our society and certain individuals want to bring it into football
grounds. It's down to us in football do to more.

'We think football is the solution to the problem and the work that we do will continue and we need to continue it.

'That day against Leeds obviously there was an allegation of abuse made online initially. We investigated it straight away.

'We interviewed stewards, police, players, we looked at the TV footage too as it was live on Sky.

'After
speaking to the player who had the alleged abuse at him during the day,
he said that he heard no abuse on the day so that was basically at that
point the end of the investigation - although we're going to open it
again now.'

Meanwhile, Marvin Sordell tonight claimed he was 'surprised' but not shocked that racism exists in football.

The Bolton forward claimed on Twitter that he was taunted by fans at Millwall in October as he warmed up as a substitute.

A
banner claiming 'Sordell is a c***' was unveiled in a Millwall section
of the Lion's Den ground at a later game, while a 13-year-old boy was
banned from the ground.

Sordell who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, has faced racial abuse on social media websites.

He said: 'We're a developed, multi-cultural society. It's surprising it can still go on - but it doesn't exactly shock me.

'We
can't be silent about it. We need to make people aware that there is a
problem going on and only when people are aware of the problem can it be
sorted out.

'As long as people are brave enough I'd say to come out and say exactly what's happened to them then I think we'll be going in the right direction because the first thing that needs to happen is that we can't be silent about it.'

The 21-year-old admitted abuse can inspire him, adding: 'Sometimes it gives me that bit more fire to prove people wrong and that I can rise above it.'

David Bernstein, the FA chairman, is
treating allegations with the utmost importance, telling Sky Sports
News: 'These issues bother me intensely. They have become top of my
agenda in terms of moving these things on and combating these things.

'If any matters are brought to our attention they will of course be thoroughly investigated as part of Operation Arrowtip, which is the Metropolitan Police Service's ongoing football operation to challenge individuals or groups engaged in football related disorder or criminality.

'The MPS routinely work very closely with football clubs and partner agencies to monitor behaviour to ensure public confidence and safety.'

Chief Superintendent Mick Johnson,
from the MPS Public Order Branch, said: 'It is important that we work
with football clubs and the football authorities, including the FA, to
ensure that there is no misunderstanding about what constitutes racist
language or behaviour and that we work with clubs to educate, encourage
and empower supporters to stamp out racism in football.

'Some
words which historically have been perceived by some as acceptable
cause harassment, alarm or distress to others, and people who use this
language could be committing a criminal offence.

'Offensive
language, within football chants or otherwise, has no place within
football, or indeed in society, and those who engage in such behaviour
should be under no illusion that they are committing a crime.

'If it is unacceptable outside football then it is unacceptable inside football.'

Clarke has met Kick It Out chairman Lord
Herman Ouseley and Professional Footballers' Association chief
executive Gordon Taylor for talks over players who suffer abuse but do
not make an official complaint.

He added: 'We need to create a culture in football that rather than
making the person who points out the problem the villain, they get the
support they deserve in being able to point it out. We need to support
the victim.'

Clarke said he was aware of lots of shouting and chanting directed at
Diouf during the match but did not hear any co-ordinated racist
chanting.

'That doesn't mean there was no individual racist abuse,' he added. 'We
have to use every tool in our armour, be it CCTV, steward and player
statements, to hunt down every racist at every football ground and make
sure they never get in again.'

Clarke added that Millwall had worked very hard to tackle a past reputation for a racist element among their fans.

He said: 'The club has worked very hard, and spent a lot of money,
reaching out to people to improve them. Persecuting the club rather than
the perpetrators is a wrong answer.'

During the incident highlighted by Sky's cameras, Sportsmail understands Diouf was not complaining specifically about racist abuse to referee Halsey, despite it being clearly evident in the stands.

And Halsey's match report is not believed to feature any mention of the incident, otherwise the FA would have acted given its zero tolerance policy to racism.